Let’s imagine that your business has a hidden back door—one that your building manager doesn’t even know exists—and that door leads straight into the heart of your office. By the time someone finds out that door exists, someone could have snuck in to wreak all kinds of havoc, unbeknownst to you. This is what is known as a zero-day threat; it’s a security vulnerability that is being actively exploited in the wild, one that was previously unknown to the vendor and unpatched against, and it’s a serious problem for any SMB.
Imagine that your screen flashes a devastating message: your critical data is encrypted, and you face a massive ransom demand. Your operation grinds to a halt. This isn’t just an enterprise problem; it’s the harsh reality for businesses of all sizes. Cyber threats don’t discriminate. Your small or mid-sized business is a prime target.
Open your Profit & Loss statement. I’m willing to bet that the IT line is sitting squarely in the expense column, right next to rent, electricity, and paper towels. For many business owners, IT is seen as a necessary evil; a cost center, a black hole they just have to throw money into. When you see a technology bill, you get that double-take and cringe. Your primary goal is to minimize this cost; often to the point of avoidance.
You might have IT staff in the office, but that doesn’t mean that all of your problems are handled with the time, speed, and attention they deserve. Your people might be overworked and overwhelmed by the amount of work demanded of them, and having coverage at all times comes at a cost—a cost that your technicians (and your business) aren’t willing to pay. Outsourcing helps you make up for this deficit in a way that’s both kind to your team and helpful for your budget.
If your business’ technology seems to be a-okay, the thought of updating it may seem unnecessary. This is decidedly not the case. Updates are what keep your business functioning (and therefore, profitable), while every skipped update opens you up to vulnerabilities, bugs, and much more severe consequences when you experience a true threat.
Some surprises can be lots of fun. That said, any surprise impacts to your business’ IT won’t be. Whether a server crashes, your wireless connectivity goes kaput, or you’re suddenly dealing with a security threat, the outcome is likely the same: the problem is fixed, but the invoice delivered to you a week or so later introduces a brand-new issue… the bill. Nowadays, there is no reason for this little scenario to happen. Instead, your IT can be treated as a predictable utility cost without any dramatic surprises to throw off your plans.
Are you struggling with your IT management? Would you rather be focused on doing business than resolving technology problems? If so, we have a solution for you, and it’s way easier than finding time in your day to juggle the countless responsibilities of an IT technician.
There’s a lot that any small business owner has to manage at any given moment, so the last thing you need is to have technology issues or challenges throw a wrench into things… and when they do, you certainly don’t need any delays in fixing the problem. That’s how traditional IT support works, and nowadays, it’s simply insufficient for business needs. Fortunately, today’s technology also enables us to address these support needs more effectively. Let’s review how managed services offer a more proactive and strategic (and therefore more financially sound) option.
Let’s say you have all the knowledge, time, energy, resources, and expertise in technology management in the world. Would you want the responsibility of managing your company’s IT? Today, we’re exploring some of the more plausible reasons why managing your own technology solutions just doesn’t make sense—and how a managed service provider can help.
We know how difficult it can be for a small business to make do with the time and resources it has. We see it every day in our work with local SMBs. The reality is that technology is ingrained in every part of the modern business, so you cannot risk it failing when you need it most.
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